8
UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 1ST FEBRUARY, 2015
OUR CAMPUS
Advancing the
indigenous case
CCJ symposium
gets support
The newly named
Noor Hassanali Auditorium at
the Faculty of Law on the St. Augustine campus
was tightly packed for hours on January 21, 215
as the Caribbean Court of Justice Symposium got
underway.
The Symposium, Advancing the Case for
Regionalism and Indigenous Jurisprudence, was
hosted by the Faculty of Law in collaboration with
the High Commission of Canada, the International
LabourOrganization, theOrganizationofAmerican
States, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the
United Nations Development Program.
Dean of the Faculty, Professor Rose-Marie
Belle Antoine led off the proceedings before the
Canadian High Commissioner, Gerard Latulippe
welcomed participants.
The first panel focused on the theme,
Experience of other Commonwealth countries
which have replaced the Privy Council and the
effect on their respective justice systems. It was
moderated by Mark Guthrie, a legal adviser in
the Rule of Law Division at the Commonwealth
Secretariat in London, and the members were
Reginald Amour, SC, an attorney-at-law of the
Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago; Benoit
Pelletier, Professor of Law, of the University of
Ottawa; the Hon Justice John Alexander Logan, a
Judge in the Federal Court of Australia.
The second panel on the Quality and
Effectiveness of the CCJ, was moderated by the
Deputy Dean at the Law Faculty, Alicia Elias-
Roberts, and members were Professor Belle
Antoine, Justice Denys Barrow, a Justice of Appeal
in Belize, and Dante Mauricio Negro Alvarado,
Director of the Department of International Law
at the Organisation of American States.
Look out for our next issue when we will bring
more details on the discussions that took place.
The Graduate Tracer Survey
is a project carried out by
the Campus Office of Planning & Institutional Research
(COPIR) as part of its institutional research agenda. The
information from it serves to guide themanagement teamof
The UWI in how it shapes systems, policies and processes.
The Survey investigates the post-university experience
of first degree graduates of the St. Augustine campus. In
particular it seeks to assess their experiences in terms of
employability and the workplace, their perceptions about
their UWI programme and the on-the-job impact of skills
acquired during their undergraduate period of study, as well
as their inclination to pursue further studies at The UWI.
The survey is an ongoing project that will continue
the work of previous surveys and will also be a tool for
evaluating the extent to which the Campus is able to meet
the goals set out by the UWI Strategic plan (2012-2017), in
terms of enhancing the student experience.The information
from the graduates provides valuable feedback on
emerging trends in the job market and insight into how the
undergraduate education at UWI is preparing them for the
world of work. Where challenges are identified, there is the
opportunity to address them through further strengthening
and development in the curriculum, and improvement to
the student support systems and processes.
The Graduate Tracer Survey is delivered to first degree
graduates of all faculties and is conducted one year after
graduation ideally. Earlier surveys have been led in 2010
and 2012 via an online survey application.
The following highlights key findings based on the
responses and feedback obtained from the 2010 and 2012
surveys:
Time taken to find employment has been positive where
the trends indicate that graduates have taken an average of
eight months to find a job.
Employability in respect of the 2010 Survey suggested
that 83% of the graduates were employed after two years,
and at the time of graduation, approximately 56% were
employed on a full-time basis.
In both 2010 and 2012, between 70 and 80 % of first
degree graduates gained employment at the professional,
technical and associated professional level, the top economic
activities being education, engineering, health and business
and administration professionals.
Approximately 50% of graduates gain employment in
the public/government sector, primarily in education, health
and social services.
In terms of the sectors of employment, close to 40% of
respondents reported being employed in the private sector,
Mean Scores for Exiting Experience
Attributes
Mean
My experience at The UWI encouraged a desire
for further education.
2.95
I am satisfied that the degree programme
has provided the foundation for a graduate
academic programme.
2.98
The degree programme has given me a sense of
competence in my major field of study.
3.04
I believe that I will find a job in my field within a
year of graduation.
2.63
I am thinking about opening my own business
upon completion of my programme.
2.44
Overall
2.81
Greatest influences on the
decision to apply to the UWI
Influence
%
Affordability
35%
Influence by family and friends
27%
Programme is not offered elsewhere
4%
Programme matches my interests
15%
Academic reputation of the institution
(for teaching and research)
19%
Base
100%
the main areas of activities being in the energy based and
financial and insurance services industries, as growing areas
for expanding economic activity.
On average, a little over 2% of respondents were self-
employed. These respondents worked in the area of health
and social services.
In both surveys, respondents reported moderate
satisfactionwith the applicability of their degree programme
in the workplace.
Two-thirds of graduates indicated their desire to
pursue postgraduate studies and that The UWI was their
first choice.
Overall, respondents felt that the UWI experience
had a moderate impact on their personal and professional
developmentwith regard to critical thinking, communication
skills and an appreciation for social, cultural and
environmental responsibilities.
What Happens to Our Graduates?
Survey shows half go to public sector
Attributes
First Year
Continuing
Exiting
Overall
I have no regrets in choosing the UWI to pursue my tertiary
education
1.92
2.93
2.98
2.61
I would recommend the UWI to others who others who are
interested in my field of study
1.94
2.90
2.92
2.59
I enjoy being a students here at The UWI
1.98
2.83
2.88
2.56
I am content with the quality of the education I receive at UWI
2.03
2.79
2.84
2.55
I feel that I am taking more responsibility for my learning and
personal growth
1.75
3.21
3.25
2.73
Overall Experiences
Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine,
Dean of the Faculty of Law.
